Dr. Hajjar (data presented at the meeting with the Senators and at news conferences, and admitted to public hearing through Dr. Sin Hang Lee)

1) Dr. Hajjar reported the case of a 16-year-old girl who suffered an acute-onset and permanent bilateral visual loss and a transient left hemiparesis following Gardasil vaccination.

2) Tumefactive demyelinating lesions and chiasmal neuritis as part of a presentation of acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis were documented by MRI imaging studies.

3) A brain biopsy was performed on this case to confirm that there was a perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages with focal demyelination in the brain tissue, characteristic of the histopathological changes in acute demyelinating (or disseminated) encephalomyelitis as complication of vaccination.

Dr. Tomljenovic (data presented at the meeting with the Senators and news conferences)

1) Post-mortem brain tissue specimens from two young women who suffered from cerebral vasculitis-type symptoms following vaccination with the HPV vaccine Gardasil were analyzed by IHC for various immuno-inflammatory markers.

2) Gardasil-vaccinated cases showed positive immuno-reactivity for HPV-16L1 antigen in cells within cerebral vessels, with some HPV-16L1 – positive cells adhering to the walls of these vessels and some infiltrating the brain parenchyma. No such pattern of staining was observed with the anti-HPV-18L1 anti-HPV-11L1 antibody in any of the Gardasil-vaccinated cases. Control cases were negative.

3) Conclusions: The presence of foreign antigenic material in the central nervous system can trigger adverse inflammatory and immune-mediated manifestations. Normally, vaccine antigens are not expected to cross the blood-brain barrier. The finding of HPV-16L1 intra and perivascular immuno-positive cells in the brains of these two cases suffering unexpected and sudden death following Gardasil vaccination is thus of concern.

Dr. Lee (data presented at the public hearing, at the meeting with the Senators and at news conferences)

1) Gardasil contains residual HPV L1 gene rDNA fragments, firmly bound to the AAHS adjuvant by ligand exchange through the phosphate backbone of the DNA molecule in non-B conformation – a new chemical inadvertently created in the vaccine manufacturing process.

2) It is well known that aluminum nanoparticles can transfect foreign, bacterial or viral DNA into human cells, especially macrophages, and macrophages can cross the blood brain barrier.

3) It is well known that activated macrophages, highly immune-stimulated by free bacterial or viral DNA, can produce and release a variety of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor which is a myocardial depressant and can cause acute inflammation. Human macrophages recognize HPV DNA as a viral DNA (foreign invader), not the DNA from the human host’s own body, and react in a high alert state- a highly augmented reaction which may be very harmful in certain genetically predisposed young girls. We cannot predict which girls will react violently in their heart and in their brain as a result of these activated macrophage activities.

4) HPV 16 L1 gene DNA in non-B conformation was found in the post-mortem blood and spleen tissue obtained at autopsy of such a sudden unexpected death without obvious cause of death 6 months after Gardasil vaccination. No scientists at the public hearing believe that psychosomatic reactions can cause such death and inflammation of the brain in these HPV-vaccinated girls. Therefore, more research must be performed on the potential toxicity of this vaccine.